Visit 'The Alps' at IMAX theater

Posted: Sunday, August 26, 2007

For a summer cool down, experience "The Alps," an IMAX special film that opened at the Fernbank Museum on August 4. Filmmaker Steve Judson and his awarding winning crew transport you to the thin atmosphere above Switzerland on the sheer rock and ice wall known as the Eiger North Face. In this magnificent ice wonderland, climber John Harlin embarks on his most perilous climb. This journey will take him from his home in Oregon to Europe's most majestic mountain range, the Swiss Alps, where he will reveal its many secrets and confront his darkest fears on the legendary slopes that claimed his renowned father's life.

MacGillivray Freeman Films brings its latest film to the IMAX. Narrated by Michael Gambon, the actor known for his role as "Albus Dumbledore" in the "Harry Potter" films. The film features music from rock group, Queen.

The Alps celebrates the beauty and spirit of the Alpine region, its inhabitants and the many attractions including the Glacier Express train, bungee jumping off Verzasca Dam and the revered Eiger North Face.

"This film is a great fit for Fernbank because it delves into so many elements of natural history, intertwining the cultures of the Alps, the geological development of the mountains, the scientific study of avalanches, and the remarkable beauty of nature," said Fernbank's President and CEO, Susan Neugent.

Producer Greg MacGill-ivray adds, "The grandeur of the Alps makes for an incredible matchup with the visual spectacle of the IMAX theatre photography. It is such an enticing location, filled with history and human accomplishments. More than that, though, our film is a human story about facing one's fears and about family and family legacies. I think audiences will come away moved by John Harlin's quest and stirred by the mountain and all the inspiration and joy that come from their beauty."

"The Alps" depicts John Harlin's desire to face his inner demons while giving honor to his father's memory on a climb that requires more than physical stamina. Harlin was 9 years old when his father, John Harlin II, set out to climb the Eiger's 6,000 foot North Face. At 4,000 feet above the base, his father's rope broke, plunging him to a tragic death. John has since been haunted by the Eiger's mythic allure and deadly nature.

In a world unlike any other, the Matterhorn and Eiger rule over their icy domain. When Harlin arrives, he joins his German climbing partners, the Jaspers, a married couple who are veterans at ice climbing. Robert Jasper has ascended the Eiger more than a dozen times and Daniela Jasper is acclaimed for her ice-climbing skills.

They are well aware that the mountain has taken more than 50 lives in the last 60 years.

Only after weather experts give the go ahead can the trio embark on their mission. Harlin recorded that he focused on the task at hand, but his father was constantly in his thoughts, especially as they neared the summit.

Harlin chronicled their climb by the "original" route leading straight up the North Face of the Eiger in his book, "The Eiger Obsession." John Harlin III is an avid mountaineer, skier, adventurer, editor and writer.

He has written guidebooks, been an editor for Backpacker and Summit magazines, and is now serving as editor of American Alpine Journal, the journal of record for new mountain routes worldwide.

"The Eiger held a part of my soul captive for 40 years and with this trip I was able to set myself free," Harlin said. "I always felt I had to do this climb and yet the thing that I really came back with is that it's my family that is the most important thing to me. Having climbed the Eiger North Face, I can now revel in spending time with my family more than ever."